About two dozen people were evacuated from the Helping Hands building Wednesday afternoon after occupants stated they could smell smoke coming from the upper portion of the building.

Knoxville Fire and Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Greg Higginbotham said a faulty microwave was the source of the odor.

It took crews over an hour to discover the source. The microwave was located in a room in the Helping Hands Crisis Shelter, located above the food pantry.

Helping Hands Director Bob Smith said no smoke was seen but they could smell a strong odor downstairs. Knoxville Police Department assisted with the evacuation and traffic control.

The Helping Hands Pantry closed for the rest of the day. Workers handed out cold water to police and firefighters for their service.